Series name: Ai-Ren (translation: "lovers")
Author: Tanaka Yutaka
Number of volumes: 5 (series is completed)
English language distributor: none
Fan translation link: on Manga Volume
I didn't think I was going to review this one. Ai-Ren is a sci-fi Manga set on a grim future version of Earth. The human race has lost its vigor and appears destined to die out. Most people do not have children, those that do have them by artificial means; people have forgotten what sex is. People no longer build, nuclear weapons detonate in some part of the world on a nearly daily basis, coastal cities are inundated. World events are not really presented in a complete or coherent way, either as a result of deliberate narrative choice or sketchy amateur translation. But world events are generally not important.
What is important are the main characters. Ikuru is very ill. Due to some mysterious past catastrophic accident, extraordinary experimental measures have been taken to save his life, grafting parts of another person's body to his. These measures are inadequate however, and he is slowly dying, frequently in pain, and usually unable to eat. Because he is dying, society has given him a gift: an ARG-RMS which is a companion for the dying, an artificially created, genetically enhanced girl left over from some unknown project (experimental super human?, assassin?, sex-slave?). She has been genetically tailored to love him (an only him) absolutely. When he first takes her to his home, an isolated crumbling house on the "coast", she has no memory or sense of self. These companions for the dying are themselves doomed to a very short lifespan, frequently dying before their beneficiaries. Typical to this genre, her name comes from the first word she can say, Ai ("love").
Despite the monstrous morality (my judgement) of Ai's creation, purpose, and the massive way in which her innate volition has been violated, what transpires between them is one of the most beautiful, innocent, disturbing, and heart-rending short love stories I've ever seen. All of the things you think could be creepy about this situation are in fact, creepier than you think they are. This creepiness is enhanced by the fact that Ikuru is stalked in his dreams by a shadowy feminine figure of death and Ai seems to fell that she is destined to kill him, the person she loves most in the world. Besides the near continual presence of death, the fact that Ikuru and Ai (ages unknown) are drawn to look so young (manga, go figure) there's a very creepy, Blue Lagoon vibe to the whole thing. As an aside, the artwork is (almost) top notch for manga.
This is not one of those sci-fi stories where the mysteries about the state of the world are resolved with some big reveal, or we learn more over time. Humanity's crisis is not resolved. The story shifts back and forth between Ikuru and Ai, and other world level plots involving a dragon... or an alien, or ghosts in space. It's unclear just what it is, but in essence, there's a starman waiting in the sky. He'd like to come and meet us but he thinks he'd blow our minds. Just who or what he is, like so much else, is never reveled. And it doesn't matter, because there's Ikuru and Ai, whose story blows my mind effectively enough without the starman... dragon, ghost... whatever he is.
Do I recommend it? No... Yes... No... don't read it. Well, you should,... but you really shouldn't. I've been holding off a review until I can say just what I think of it, but I am still unable to really characterize it. Is it a great piece of art? Maybe. Is it an exploitative, amature, trashy work? Maybe. Is it good, bad, moral, immoral? I don't have a mental compartment where it fits... which is an artistic triumph in a way. If you can get past the cover art on it's page at Manga Volume and the end of the second chapter without completely freaking out, congratulations, you've made it through some of the most disturbing parts; you might as well finish the series. It's very short.
Americans, I think, will view this series from across a very long cultural divide (I did), probably why it has not found an English language distributor yet.
Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Friday, April 25, 2008
Outsourced Review: H&K EFGB (Catholicised)
Since I haven't seen it (yet), I think though that this:
http://www.catholicnews.com/data/movies/08mv076.htm
is the best possible review source for this kind of movie.
http://www.catholicnews.com/data/movies/08mv076.htm
is the best possible review source for this kind of movie.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Movie Review: The Science of Sleep
I was going to begin this review with some hyperbolic and misleading statements about the unprecedented effect this movie had on me, namely that it was the first time I've ever paid money to watch a movie and been unable to finish it. Then I remembered that Natural Bork Killers had the same effect on me, so Nyah.
I was really quite excited to watch The Science of Sleep. After watching the stunningly great Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and being enthralled by the story, the visual tricks, and the finest, most naturalistic performance from Jim Carrey in the history of... well, Jim Carrey, I thought Michel Gondry's next major film would really be something to look forward to. Sure, Eternal Sunshine had Charlie Kaufman attached to it, but I wasn't yet entirely sold on Kaufman's brilliance. Being John Malkovitch was great, true, but that might have been Spike Jonze's work, and for me, the only brilliance that Adaptation showed, was that Kauffman is a brilliant self promoter (I mean come on, how many other script writers are anywhere near as well known as the guy who put himself and his imaginary twin into a major motion picture?). No, I was willing to give Gondry plenty of credit of making a really great science fiction movie (the best of the decade, so far) and wanted badly to see his next film (not badly enough to rent it in a timely manner, mind you, I'm a grad student, give me a flippin' break).
The truth about the Science of Sleep is that it's a mess. It's a horrible, breathtakingly boring, mess of a movie. The movie is full of very clever imagery and the dream sequences are as close to matching the feel of a real dream as anything I've ever seen on film, I'll give him that. But there was no story there. The film is nominally about the life and dreams of a loser, Stephane, with a bad job, no real talent, and a crush on his new neighbor. He can't seem to keep reality and fantasy seperate in his life. Those are fine things for a movie. But when the story is anemic, we aren't given a reason to care about Stephane (or anyone else, for that matter), and it's very difficult for the viewer to tell what is supposed to be real and what is in Stephane's mind, there's no reason for me, the viewer to tune in. The whole work is self-indulgent, as though there was no one giving Gondry any kind of reality check about what might be interesting to people, what worked, what didn't. It's like a parody of a film-school senior thesis, but with a bigger budget. In fact, here, let me save you some time. Watch this clip, it's like the Science of Sleep, but it sucks on purpose:
Clip is from the woefully short-lived show: The Critic, but you should know that.
I was really quite excited to watch The Science of Sleep. After watching the stunningly great Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and being enthralled by the story, the visual tricks, and the finest, most naturalistic performance from Jim Carrey in the history of... well, Jim Carrey, I thought Michel Gondry's next major film would really be something to look forward to. Sure, Eternal Sunshine had Charlie Kaufman attached to it, but I wasn't yet entirely sold on Kaufman's brilliance. Being John Malkovitch was great, true, but that might have been Spike Jonze's work, and for me, the only brilliance that Adaptation showed, was that Kauffman is a brilliant self promoter (I mean come on, how many other script writers are anywhere near as well known as the guy who put himself and his imaginary twin into a major motion picture?). No, I was willing to give Gondry plenty of credit of making a really great science fiction movie (the best of the decade, so far) and wanted badly to see his next film (not badly enough to rent it in a timely manner, mind you, I'm a grad student, give me a flippin' break).
The truth about the Science of Sleep is that it's a mess. It's a horrible, breathtakingly boring, mess of a movie. The movie is full of very clever imagery and the dream sequences are as close to matching the feel of a real dream as anything I've ever seen on film, I'll give him that. But there was no story there. The film is nominally about the life and dreams of a loser, Stephane, with a bad job, no real talent, and a crush on his new neighbor. He can't seem to keep reality and fantasy seperate in his life. Those are fine things for a movie. But when the story is anemic, we aren't given a reason to care about Stephane (or anyone else, for that matter), and it's very difficult for the viewer to tell what is supposed to be real and what is in Stephane's mind, there's no reason for me, the viewer to tune in. The whole work is self-indulgent, as though there was no one giving Gondry any kind of reality check about what might be interesting to people, what worked, what didn't. It's like a parody of a film-school senior thesis, but with a bigger budget. In fact, here, let me save you some time. Watch this clip, it's like the Science of Sleep, but it sucks on purpose:
Clip is from the woefully short-lived show: The Critic, but you should know that.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Confession and a Review
All right, so people who know my occupation know that my time for reading the things that are fun has been curtailed, impoverished, reduced to almost nothing. I’m not complaining (much), my choice. But it has been dispiriting. My Hugo winners project is on hold, I have a stack of neglected Analog magazines going back more than a year… I’m telling you this because I have a horrible and shameful thing to confess… how do I say it? I guess… just admit it: My name is the Really Sarcastic Weasel, and I have started reading manga.
I’ve been OK supporting an anime habit, some Outlaw Star here, some Bebop and Champloo there, a crap-load of Kenshin and Studio Ghibli… I can still hold my head high. But the glittering racks of manga at the Borders were anathematic to me: too Otaku. The Taipei MRT really turned that around for me. Specifically, seeing firsthand the truth of the Otaku claim that perfectly respectable adults do read the stuff (in public, no less) as a way to unwind. So, without the time or energy for Old Man’s War, Paladin of Souls, or the Pevear and Volokhonsky Tratranslation of War and Peace, I resort to short, unchallenging, manga. Not just manga, but harem, shōnen manga. Well, enough groveling and excuses. The review:
Love Hina (Ken Akamatsu)
Love Hina is, on its surface, is the story of Keitaro Urashima, an undistinguished 2nd year rōnin attempting to get into the prestigious Tokyo University (think someone with borderline community college grades repeatedly applying to Harvard). Keitaro is not smart, not handsome nor charming, nor strong, has never had a girlfriend, never been popular, is terribly clumsy, careless, and is plagued by supernatural bad luck. The only time a girl was ever interested in him during his life was when he was 4 and he and another young girl promised each that they would someday go to Tokyo University together. After being thrown out his parents’ house, he goes to see his grandmother who owns a traditional hot springs inn. Completely oblivious to the fact that the inn has been converted to a women’s dormitory, he makes himself at home once he fails to find his grandmother there. This start leads the residents of the dorm to believe that he is a pervert, an idiot, and a liar. Too bad for them, his grandmother makes him the new manager while she’s off to travel the world.
Now I described the series as part of the harem sub-genre, in which some unlikely young male becomes the object of affection of many girls who surround him, and it is exactly that. Unlike many of the works in this genre, it starts with the protagonist being universally despised at first and is relatively believable as the characters grow and their relationships change. Throughout the series Keitaro suffers such physical abuse at the hands of the girls that, in a completely meta-moment, they begin to speculate on whether he is an immortal. The series also suffers from a nearly overwhelming amount of fan-service as Keitaro continually barges in on dressing, undressing, bathing, and otherwise semi-clothed girls precipitating the aforementioned violence (leading the series to be, by my estimation, rather burlesque but without ever crossing the line into hentai). The series also suffers from some fetishism indulgences: warrior women, oniisan (not blood relation), kitsuni-musume, nekomimi, cosplay, etc. Furthermore, the pure magnitude of dues ex machina used to keep certain plot line unresolved would make a soap opera “writer” blush.
All that said, the damn thing is entertaining and has real heart. Not only that, but it threw me a major curve. Sometime in Volume 12 or so I began to get annoyed because Keitaro’s story, from a personal growth point of view, was essentially complete and the story was growing ever more bizarre. But there was no resolution to the central conflict of the story despite the fact that the protagonist had clearly earned it. It wasn’t until nearly the end (I’m a little slow sometimes) that I realized that, while Keitaro may be the protagonist, the main character, whose growth is even more important for a successful resolution, is probably Naru Narusegawa, Keitaro's primary love interest. The final two chapters, if you’re an emotional old softie such as the Sarcastic Weasel, are very gratifying.
I bought the first two volumes thinking I’d read them slowly over time. I found myself addicted and read the bulk of the rest of the series on Manga Hut, as they have very high quality scans, but had to supplement from other sites as some pages are missing. I am now going back and showing my support for the author and artist (and U. S. distributors) by purchasing the remaining volumes and reading the official translation. There also exists an anime version, but my understanding is that there is quite a difference in tone and plot.
Anyway, if you can swallow you pride (and some juvenile silliness), I’d recommend it despite the fact that the covers look like they are designed to appeal to sexually confused teenage girls. I found myself much more emotionally involved than I ever expected to be and it was a nice lift in a winter that refuses to end.
I’ve been OK supporting an anime habit, some Outlaw Star here, some Bebop and Champloo there, a crap-load of Kenshin and Studio Ghibli… I can still hold my head high. But the glittering racks of manga at the Borders were anathematic to me: too Otaku. The Taipei MRT really turned that around for me. Specifically, seeing firsthand the truth of the Otaku claim that perfectly respectable adults do read the stuff (in public, no less) as a way to unwind. So, without the time or energy for Old Man’s War, Paladin of Souls, or the Pevear and Volokhonsky Tratranslation of War and Peace, I resort to short, unchallenging, manga. Not just manga, but harem, shōnen manga. Well, enough groveling and excuses. The review:
Love Hina (Ken Akamatsu)
Love Hina is, on its surface, is the story of Keitaro Urashima, an undistinguished 2nd year rōnin attempting to get into the prestigious Tokyo University (think someone with borderline community college grades repeatedly applying to Harvard). Keitaro is not smart, not handsome nor charming, nor strong, has never had a girlfriend, never been popular, is terribly clumsy, careless, and is plagued by supernatural bad luck. The only time a girl was ever interested in him during his life was when he was 4 and he and another young girl promised each that they would someday go to Tokyo University together. After being thrown out his parents’ house, he goes to see his grandmother who owns a traditional hot springs inn. Completely oblivious to the fact that the inn has been converted to a women’s dormitory, he makes himself at home once he fails to find his grandmother there. This start leads the residents of the dorm to believe that he is a pervert, an idiot, and a liar. Too bad for them, his grandmother makes him the new manager while she’s off to travel the world.
Now I described the series as part of the harem sub-genre, in which some unlikely young male becomes the object of affection of many girls who surround him, and it is exactly that. Unlike many of the works in this genre, it starts with the protagonist being universally despised at first and is relatively believable as the characters grow and their relationships change. Throughout the series Keitaro suffers such physical abuse at the hands of the girls that, in a completely meta-moment, they begin to speculate on whether he is an immortal. The series also suffers from a nearly overwhelming amount of fan-service as Keitaro continually barges in on dressing, undressing, bathing, and otherwise semi-clothed girls precipitating the aforementioned violence (leading the series to be, by my estimation, rather burlesque but without ever crossing the line into hentai). The series also suffers from some fetishism indulgences: warrior women, oniisan (not blood relation), kitsuni-musume, nekomimi, cosplay, etc. Furthermore, the pure magnitude of dues ex machina used to keep certain plot line unresolved would make a soap opera “writer” blush.
All that said, the damn thing is entertaining and has real heart. Not only that, but it threw me a major curve. Sometime in Volume 12 or so I began to get annoyed because Keitaro’s story, from a personal growth point of view, was essentially complete and the story was growing ever more bizarre. But there was no resolution to the central conflict of the story despite the fact that the protagonist had clearly earned it. It wasn’t until nearly the end (I’m a little slow sometimes) that I realized that, while Keitaro may be the protagonist, the main character, whose growth is even more important for a successful resolution, is probably Naru Narusegawa, Keitaro's primary love interest. The final two chapters, if you’re an emotional old softie such as the Sarcastic Weasel, are very gratifying.
I bought the first two volumes thinking I’d read them slowly over time. I found myself addicted and read the bulk of the rest of the series on Manga Hut, as they have very high quality scans, but had to supplement from other sites as some pages are missing. I am now going back and showing my support for the author and artist (and U. S. distributors) by purchasing the remaining volumes and reading the official translation. There also exists an anime version, but my understanding is that there is quite a difference in tone and plot.
Anyway, if you can swallow you pride (and some juvenile silliness), I’d recommend it despite the fact that the covers look like they are designed to appeal to sexually confused teenage girls. I found myself much more emotionally involved than I ever expected to be and it was a nice lift in a winter that refuses to end.
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